Mayonnaise-like food and method of manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

A mayonnaise-like food, being an edible emulsified matter prepared by mixing and emulsifying soybean milk or bean curd, vinegar, seasoning, spice, emulsifier, and vegetable oil, in which the soybean milk is a concentrated soybean milk at Brix concentration of 20 to 40, or the bean curd is a concentrated bean curd prepared by coagulating a concentrated soybean milk at Brix concentration of 15 or more by use of a coagulant. Since concentrated soybean milk or concentrated bean curd is used, peculiar greenstuff smell and acridity of soybean can be suppressed, and a mayonnaise-like food having rich flavor and smooth texture can be obtained.

This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCTInternational Application No. PCT/JP00/08189 which has an Internationalfiling date of Nov. 20, 2000, which designated the United States ofAmerica.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to mayonnaise-like food using concentratedsoybean milk or concentrated bean curd and its manufacturing method, andpresents emulsified matter of low cholesterol with a strong flavor,being free from peculiar greenstuff smell and acridity of soybean.

BACKGROUND ART

Edible emulsified matter such as mayonnaise or dressing is manufacturedby mixing and emulsifying water phase such as vinegar, salt, sugar,spice and oil phase such as salad oil, usually by using yolk asemulsifier, but cholesterol contained in the yolk and egg allergy areproblems, and there is a strong demand for low fat and low calorie food,and it has been attempted to develop mayonnaise and dressing usingvegetable protein instead of yolk. Prior arts about such food includethe following.

(1) Prior art 1 (Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 63-32461)

To ordinary bean curd (i.e. tofu), similar product or dehydrated matterthereof, vinegar and/or fruit juice is added, and further 0.5 to 10% ofvegetable oil, preferably 1 to 3% of soybean protein powder, and atleast one of sugar, seasoning, spice, stabilizer and emulsifier areadded, and they are homogeneously emulsified, and emulsified food ismanufactured.

(2) Prior art 2 (Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 59-146555)

Emulsion stability of soybean milk is minimum around the isoelectricpoint, and hence when producing soybean milk from soybean, it isextracted by using aqueous solution of monovalent or divalent salt suchas sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium sulfate or calciumchloride, and organic acid is added to make slightly acidic, and theresultant is heated. The soybean milk obtained by the above-mentionedspecial treatment is used as a water phase, and oil is added andemulsified to obtain an emulsified composition.

(3) Prior art 3 (Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 55-99173)

This is a semisolid dressing using soybean protein as emulsifier, andfirst neutral soybean protein aqueous solution containing seasoning andspice and edible oil are sufficiently emulsified, and vinegar is addedby dripping, and emulsification is smooth and a stable dressing isobtained.

Mayonnaise or dressing of non-cholesterol and low fat type usingvegetable oil without using yolk or whole egg is manufactured by mainlyutilizing the emulsifying function of soybean protein.

In Prior art 1, bean curd is used as vegetable protein, and furtherstabilizer such as xanthan gum or guar gum or emulsifier such aslecithin is added (see Examples 1 to 3 of Prior art 1).

In Prior art 2, specially treated soybean milk is used as vegetableprotein, and further lecithin is added (see Example 1 of Prior art 2).In Prior art 3, soybean protein is used as emulsifier, and furtherpreferably natural paste such as tamarind seed gum is added asemulsifier aid.

Reviewing the exemplary examples of bean curd and soybean milk in thePrior arts, smooth bean curd and ordinary bean curd obtained byconventional method are used in Examples 1 to 3 of Prior art 1, soybeanmilk of 14% solid content of soybean extracted by salt heat aqueoussolution is used in Example 1 of Prior art 2, and separated soybeanprotein and extracted soybean protein are used in Examples 1 to 3 ofPrior art 3.

On the other hand, when mayonnaise-like food is manufactured by usingbean curd or soybean milk, as compared with the case of using yolk orwhole egg, peculiar greenstuff smell, acridity, and bitterness ofsoybean are mixed in, and there is a sense of resistance in taste andflavor, and when presented on the market, if the product sellstemporarily, the sale does not last long.

It is a technical object of the invention to present a novel emulsifiedmatter having rich taste and flavor, while suppressing the peculiargreenstuff smell or acridity of soybean.

The present inventors intensively studied emulsified matters usingsoybean milk, and found out the peculiar greenstuff smell and acridityof soybean are suppressed, in spite of an extremely high concentrationof solid matter, by using concentrated soybean milk of extremely highconcentration of about Brix concentration of 25, instead of soybean milkof ordinary concentration or slightly high concentration such as soybeanmilk of about 14% as disclosed in Prior art 2, and also discovered thatthe peculiar greenstuff smell and acridity of soybean can be alsosuppressed in the bean curd prepared by using such concentrated soybeanmilk.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the invention relates to a mayonnaise-like food madeof concentrated soybean milk, being an edible emulsified matter preparedby mixing and emulsifying soybean milk, vinegar, seasoning, spice,emulsifier, and vegetable oil, in which the soybean milk is aconcentrated soybean milk at Brix concentration of 20 to 40.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a mayonnaise-like food madeof concentrated bean curd, being an edible emulsified matter prepared bymixing and emulsifying bean curd, vinegar, seasoning, spice, emulsifier,and vegetable oil, in which the bean curd is a concentrated bean curdprepared by coagulating a concentrated soybean milk at Brixconcentration of 15 or more by use of a coagulant.

A third aspect of the invention relates to a manufacturing method ofmayonnaise-like food characterized by mixing and preliminarilyemulsifying vinegar, seasoning, spice, and emulsifier, mixing aconcentrated soybean milk at Brix concentration of 20 to 40 or aconcentrated bean curd prepared by coagulating a concentrated soybeanmilk at Brix concentration of 15 or more by use of a coagulant, andfurther mixing and emulsifying vegetable oil.

In the invention, the emulsifier is preferably one or two or more typesselected from the group consisting of thickening polysaccharide,lecithin, fatty acid monoglyceride, fatty acid polyglyceride, sucrosefatty acid ester, and sorbitan fatty acid ester.

BEST MODE CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The mayonnaise-like food of the invention is manufactured by mixingvinegar, seasoning, spice, and emulsifier, emulsifying preliminarily byadding water as required, mixing a concentrated soybean milk at Brixconcentration of 20 or more, and further adding vegetable oil andemulsifying; or by mixing vinegar, seasoning, spice, and emulsifier,emulsifying preliminarily by adding water as required, mixing aconcentrated bean curd prepared by coagulating a concentrated soybeanmilk at Brix concentration of 15 or more by use of a coagulant, andfurther adding vegetable oil and emulsifying.

The mayonnaise-like food of the invention is a concept includingmayonnaise, salad dressing, French dressing, spread, tartar sauce, othersemisolid dressing, and emulsified liquid dressing, but mayonnaise ismost preferred.

The concentrated soybean milk includes ordinary soybean milk obtained byextracting ground soybean in hot water by conventional method, and highconcentration soybean milk obtained by concentrating soybean milkanalogous matter prepared from soybean protein powder or soybean milkpowder.

Soybean milk can be concentrated by known methods, by removing waterfrom soybean milk by decompression process or thin membrane process. Forexample, soybean milk is concentrated in the condition of steam pressureof 6 kg/cm²G and steam temperature of 45° C. and under reduced pressureof 700 mmHg or less, and then preferably, emulsified particles arehomogenized by high pressure homogenizing process.

The Brix concentration of soybean milk or the like is generally 20 to40, preferably 22 to 30, when using concentrated soybean milk asmaterial for the mayonnaise-like food of the invention, from theviewpoint of manufacturing emulsified matter rich in flavor, whileavoiding mixing of greenstuff smell or acridity in the final product ofmayonnaise-like food; or generally 15 or more, preferably 20 to 30, ormore preferably 25 to 30, when using concentrated bean curd as material.

Generally unpleasant flavor such as peculiar greenstuff smell, acridityor bitterness of soybean is said to be mainly caused by lipoxygenase, abiological active substance contained in soybean, which actscatalytically on the poly-unsaturated fatty acids contained in soybeanoil or their esters, thereby producing, by oxidation, volatile matterssuch as n-hexanol, n-hexanal, 1-octene-3-ol, isopentanol, etc. In theinvention, since the soybean milk is concentrated to Brix concentrationof 15 or more, in this enriching process, volatile matters such asn-hexanol, n-hexanal and the like can be decreased substantially (seeTest Examples below).

As a result, the concentrated soybean milk is almost free from peculiargreenstuff smell or acridity of soybean, and the mayonnaise-like food ofthe invention manufactured from this concentrated soybean milk orconcentrated bean curd made from it is free from peculiar smell ofsoybean, and has rich flavor and deep taste.

The obtained concentrated soybean milk may be spontaneously solidifiedin protein by heat, but different from the bean curd solidified by acoagulant, this is soft and fragile solidified matter, and it can bedirectly presented to the emulsifying process for mayonnaise-like food,or it may be slightly ground by mixer, food cutter or Stefan cutter.

The concentrated bean curd used in the second aspect of the invention isprepared by solidifying the same concentrated soybean milk by usingknown coagulants, such as calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calciumsulfate, or other divalent metal salt, or glucono delta lactone, lacticacid, malic acid, citric acid, or other acids.

The Brix concentration of the soybean milk used in this process is, asmentioned above, generally 15 or more, preferably 20 to 30, or morepreferably 25 to 30, in order to avoid invasion of greenstuff smell oracridity into mayonnaise-like food as final product and to manufactureemulsified matter rich in flavor.

From the viewpoint of obtaining a smoother texture of concentrated beancurd, it is preferred to use a coagulant by mixing magnesium chlorideand glucono delta lactone, but when using bittern, it is preferred tocool the soybean milk beforehand.

The obtained concentrated bean curd is roughly crushed by mixer, foodcutter, or Stefan cutter to such an extent that small grains are leftover, and bean curd paste is prepared. However, since it is stirred inthe later emulsifying process, this crushing process may be omitted.

In the general mayonnaise manufacture, yolk, vinegar, seasoning andspice are blended, or further water is added to mix, and vegetable oiland vinegar are added alternately to be emulsified by a mixer, andfurther the oil is dispersed as fine particles in the water phase bycolloid mill, and an oil in water type emulsion is formed.

In the emulsifying process of mayonnaise-like food of the invention,basically, the yolk in the mayonnaise manufacturing process is replacedby concentrated soybean milk or concentrated bean curd, and, forexample, a water phase of vinegar, seasoning, spice and emulsifier, or awater phase further adding water as required is continuously mixed andstirred by mixer, and the concentrated soybean milk or concentrated beancurd is added, and vegetable oil is mixed by dividing in three or fourportions. The mixture is stirred by colloid mill or the like, and heatedand sterilized to obtain mayonnaise-like food. Meanwhile, theconcentrated soybean milk and concentrated bean curd may be both used.In such a case, the mixing ratio of the two may be properly selecteddepending on the desired properties or form of mayonnaise-like food.

Examples of vegetable oil include soybean oil, cotton seed oil, cornoil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, olive oil, rice oil, grapeoil, peanut oil, safflower oil, palm oil, salad oil, etc.

Examples of vinegar include apple and other fruit vinegar, rice vinegar,alcohol vinegar, sake lees vinegar, brown rice vinegar, wine vinegar,balsamico, etc.

Examples of seasoning include sweetener such as sugar (granulated sugar,fine sugar, brown sugar, crystal sugar, soft sugar etc.), glucose,fructose, mixed liquid sugar, starch syrup and the like, salt, sourseasoning such as citric acid and the like, citrus juice, chemicalseasoning, etc.

Moreover, strawberry, blueberry, aloe, peach, orange, melon, acerola,kiwifruit, grapefruit, other fruits, tea, sesame, butter, cheese,skimmed milk, whole milk powder, condensed milk, vanilla, and theirflavor may be also added as the seasoning.

Spices include mustard, pepper, paprika, etc.

The mixing ratio of the concentrated soybean milk or concentrated beancurd, and vinegar, vegetable oil and others may be properly adjusteddepending on the texture, flavor or taste of the mayonnaise-like food orproperties of emulsified matter, but the content of the concentratedsoybean milk or concentrated bean curd in the mayonnaise-like food isgenerally 5 to 60 wt. %, preferably 10 to 30 wt. %. The content ofvinegar in the mayonnaise-like food is generally 5 to 40 wt. %,preferably 7 to 25 wt. %, and the content of vegetable oil in themayonnaise-like food is generally 10 to 80 wt. %, preferably 20 to 70wt. %.

The water phase portion and oil phase portion can be emulsified by knownemulsifying means, such as mixer, colloid mill, paddle mixer,homogenizer, agitator, etc.

At this time of emulsifying, since the soybean milk is soybean protein,it has a certain emulsifying power, but from the viewpoint of enhancingthe emulsifying power, it is preferred to add an emulsifier as anauxiliary substance. Besides, since the concentrated bean curd has aweaker emulsifying power than the soybean milk, it is required to add anemulsifier.

Various emulsifiers may be used, including thickening polysaccharide,lecithin, fatty acid monoglyceride, fatty acid polyglyceride, sucrosefatty acid ester, and sorbitan fatty acid ester, and they may be used bycombining two or more types.

The thickening polysaccharide includes carrageenan, xanthan gum,tragacanth gum, gellan gum, pectin, locust bean gum, guar gum, tamarindseed gum, gum arabic, agar, sodium arginate, other arginate,furcellaran, gluco mannan, konjak mannan, etc.

The lecithin includes soybean lecithin and yolk lecithin. Besides,kephalins belonging to the same phospholipid as lecithin may be alsoused.

Preferred examples of emulsifier include lecithin, fatty acidmonoglyceride, sucrose fatty acid ester, xanthan gum, locust bean gum,guar gum, tragacanth gum, tamarind seed gum, pectin, etc.

As the emulsifier of the invention, from the viewpoint of excellentemulsifying power, yolk and whole egg are not excluded although there isproblem of increase of cholesterol content.

The content of the emulsifier in the mayonnaise-like food may beproperly adjusted depending on the properties of the emulsified matter,and is generally 0.01 to 5.0% wt. %, or preferably 0.1 to 3.0 wt. %.

In manufacture of mayonnaise-like food of the invention, the emulsifiedmatter obtained in the emulsifying process is heated, sterilized, andcooled. The condition of heating and sterilization is 65 to 85° C., 40to 60 minutes, approximately.

In the mayonnaise-like food of the invention, oligosaccharide may bealso added. Oligosaccharide has water release preventive action ofconcentrated bean curd in manufacture, and oligosaccharide has asweetness adjusting action, and it may be also used as sweetener.Oligosaccharide refers to a saccharide of which unit polymerizationdegree is about 2 to 10, and specific examples includeisomalto-oligosaccharide, galacto-oligosaccharide,fructo-oligosaccharide, xylo-oligosaccharide, lacto-oligosaccharide,nigero-oligosaccharide, trehalose, dextrose, lactulose, genthiobiose,raffinose, stachiose, etc.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

(1) Being made of concentrated soybean milk or concentrated bean curd,the mayonnaise-like food of the invention is free from unpleasant flavorsuch as greenstuff smell, acridity or bitterness, and is rich andexcellent in flavor, and hence can be taken smoothly when eating orswallowing. Different from the basic tastes such as sweetness, sourness,or saltiness, a new flavor characterized by richness and smoothness canbe given to the food.

Not using yolk or whole egg, there is no problem in egg allergy,cholesterol, or calorie, and emulsified products using soybean milk (orbean curd) suited to needs of consumers can be newly presented to themarket.

(2) The mayonnaise-like food of the invention is not sticky, and doesnot deform easily, but a soft and stable body is maintained, and it canbe preferably used in topping and sandwich, and it can be widely appliedin cakes and confectionery.

(3) In the emulsified matter using concentrated soybean milk, since theconcentrated soybean milk can be directly presented in the emulsifyingprocess, the manufacturing process is simplified, and the job efficiencycan be enhanced.

EXAMPLES

Examples of mayonnaise-like food of the invention are described belowsequentially, together with tasting test examples of the mayonnaise-likefood, smell measuring test examples of greenstuff smell or the likebefore and after concentration process of soybean milk, and body formingtest examples of mayonnaise-like food.

It must be noted, however, that the invention is not limited to thefollowing Examples and Test Examples, but may be freely changed andmodified within the scope of the technical concept of the invention.

A. Mayonnaise-Like Food Using Concentrated Soybean Milk

In the following Examples 1 to 5 of mayonnaise-like food, Example 1 is adressing type using guar gum as an emulsifier, Example 2 is a modifiedcomposition of Example 1 by adding sweetener and whole fat milk powder,Example 3 is a dressing type using yolk as an emulsifier with a slightaddition of sweetness by using liquid sugar and onion extract, Example 4is a mayonnaise type increased in the content of vegetable oil, andExample 5 is a spread type high in the content of concentrated soybeanmilk.

Comparative Example 1 is a mayonnaise-like food manufactured by usingsoybean milk of ordinary concentration instead of concentrated soybeanmilk.

Example 1

Soybean was extracted in hot water by conventional method, and soybeanmilk was prepared at Brix concentration of about 12, and it wasconcentrated at reduced pressure in the condition of pressure of 700mmHg or less, steam pressure of 6 kg/cm²G, and evaporation temperatureof 45° C., and was further treated in high pressure homogenizer in thecondition of 100 to 150 kg/cm², and concentrated soybean milk at Brixconcentration of about 25 was obtained.

In succession, vinegar, seasoning, emulsifier and spice were mixed in amixer, and stirred for 30 to 60 seconds, and the concentrated soybeanmilk was added and stirred to 60 seconds, and further vegetable oil wasadded by three or four divided portions in about 30 seconds, and afterstirring homogeneously for about 30 to 60 seconds, the mixture waspoured into a packaging container, and heated and sterilized for 60minutes at 65° C., and cooled, and a mayonnaise-like food was obtained.

The composition of the concentrated soybean milk, vinegar, seasoning,emulsifier, spice, and vegetable oil is as follows.

Concentrated soybean milk 50 g Ground sesame 8 g Sesame oil 30 gRapeseed oil 130 g Rice vinegar 80 g Seasoning 10 g Guar gum 3 g Water100 g Total 411 g

The guar gum was Bistop (a tradename of San-eigen FFI Inc. of Japan).The seasoning was mainly composed of a broth of dried bonito.

Example 2

A mayonnaise-like food was manufactured same as in Example 1, exceptthat 34 g of wine vinegar was used instead of 80 g of rice vinegar, and8 g of grape sugar and fruit guar and 18 g of whole fat milk powder werenewly added.

Example 3

Concentrated soybean milk, vinegar, seasoning, emulsifier, spice andvegetable oil were blended in the following composition.

Concentrated soybean milk 50 g Ground sesame 8 g Soy sauce 60 gSafflower oil 130 g Liquid glucose & fructose 48 g Seasoning 15 g Onionextract 40 g Rice vinegar 80 g Yolk 10 g Water 70 g Total 511 g

The manufacturing condition of concentrated soybean milk and emulsifyingcondition were the same as in Example 1.

As the emulsifier, instead of yolk, fatty acid monoglyceride, fatty acidpolyglyceride, or sucrose fatty acid ester may be used, but from theviewpoint of enhancing the emulsifying power, it is preferred to usethem together with yolk.

Example 4

In the same condition as in Example 1, soybean was extracted in hotwater by conventional method, and soybean milk was prepared at Brixconcentration of about 12, and it was concentrated at reduced pressurein the condition of pressure of 700 mmHg or less, steam pressure of 6kg/cm²G, and evaporation temperature of 45° C., and was further treatedin high pressure homogenizer in the condition of 100 to 150 kg/cm², andconcentrated soybean milk at Brix concentration of about 25 wasobtained.

In succession, concentrated soybean milk, vinegar, seasoning,emulsifier, spice, and vegetable oil were mixed in the followingcomposition.

Concentrated soybean milk 100 g Apple vinegar 70 g Grain mustard 0.4 gYeast extract 7 g Isomerized sugar 18 g Salt 4 g Cotton seed oil 360 gTragacanth gum 0.6 g Water 40 g Total 600 g

The emulsifying condition was the same as in Example 1.

The tragacanth gum was a product of San-ei Chemical Co. of Japan.

Example 5

Concentrated soybean milk, vinegar, seasoning, emulsifier, spice andvegetable oil were blended in the following composition.

Concentrated soybean milk 200 g Rice vinegar 51 g Tomato ketchup 20 gSeasoning 2 g Liquid sugar 70 g Salt 5 g Soybean, rapeseed blended oil200 g Tragacanth gum 2 g Water 10 g Total 560 g

The manufacturing condition of concentrated soybean milk and emulsifyingcondition were the same as in Example 1.

The seasoning was Amirich mainly composed of inosinate (a tradename ofAjinomoto Co. of Japan), the liquid sugar was Glister mainly composed ofstarch syrup (a tradename of Matsutani Chemical Co. of Japan), and thetragacanth gum was a product of San-ei Chemical Co. of Japan.

Comparative Example 1

Using the soybean milk at Brix concentration of about 12 beforeconcentration obtained in Example 4, this soybean milk at ordinaryconcentration was used as the material instead of the concentratedsoybean milk in Example 4, and a mayonnaise-like food was manufacturedin the same condition as in Example 1.

Test Example 1 Tasting Test Example of Mayonnaise-Like Food

As a representative example of mayonnaise-like food of the inventionamong the foregoing Examples, Example 4 was selected, and compared withComparative Example 1 in the tasting test.

That is, mayonnaise-like foods of Example 4 and Comparative Example 1were tasted by 12 tasters, an flavor and taste were tested and theoverall results were evaluated. The reference was a commercialmayonnaise using yolk instead of soybean milk.

The panel of 12 tasters consisted of 6 men aged from 20 to 55 years, and6 women aged from 18 to 61 years.

Each taster judged the flavor and taste according to the followingcriterion and scored from ◯ to x, giving 5 points to ◯-mark, 3 points toΔ-mark, and 1 point to x-mark, and the average of 10 tasters wascalculated in each item of flavor and taste. The overall evaluation isthe average of the judgement values of flavor and taste.

Herein, the taste is different from basic senses of sweetness, sournessand saltiness as mentioned above, but is a combined sensation of depthand smoothness, and expresses the intensity (that is, time intensity) ofduration of the sense of depth from the fore taste felt at the time ofputting in the mouth to the after taste continuing with the lapse oftime, as the rich flavor of the concentrated soybean milk is intensifiedin the mouth and is maintained to product a lasting effect.

Flavor was scored as follows.

◯: Rich in flavor, completely free from unpleasant smell.

Δ: Feeling of greenstuff smell. x: Strong greenstuff smell or acridity.

Taste was scored as follows.

◯: Deep taste.

Δ: Insufficient taste.

x: Lacking in taste.

Test results are shown below.

Flavor Taste Overall evaluation Example 4 4.6 4.5 4.6 ComparativeExample 1 1.4 3.1 2.3 Reference 3.7 3.3 3.5

According to the results, the mayonnaise-like food in Example 4 was freefrom greenstuff smell or acridity, and had rich flavor and strong taste,and its overall evaluation was higher than that of the commercialmayonnaise of the reference.

By contrast, Comparative Example 1 had a strong greenstuff smell andacridity, and lacked in taste.

Thus, the mayonnaise-like food using concentrated soybean milk wasobviously superior to the product using soybean milk of ordinaryconcentration, in the aspects of flavor and taste.

Test Example 2 Body Forming Test Example of Mayonnaise-Like Food

Conforming to the foregoing Tasting Test Example, Example 4 ofmayonnaise type, Comparative Example 1 using soybean milk at ordinaryconcentration (Brix concentration 12) instead of concentrated soybeanmilk, and reference of commercial mayonnaise were selected, and the bodyforming property was comparatively studied.

The mayonnaise-like food was changed in a tube container, and squeezedinto a conical form of 4 cm in bottom diameter and about 4 cm in height(to about second joint of index finger), and collapse of this conicalform in 30 minutes at room temperature was observed, and the bodyforming property of each sample was judged by the conical heightretention rate expressed in the following formula.Conical height retention rate (%)=(conical height in 30 minutes/initialheight)×100

In the evaluation of this Test Example, the higher conical heightretention rate of sample means a better body forming property, and thelower rate means an inferior body forming property.

Test results are shown below.

Comparative Example 4 Example 1 Reference Conical height retention rate96% 74% 88%

According to the results, the mayonnaise-like food of Example 4 was veryhigh in the retention rate, and was superior to the reference in thatthe shape can be held softly and firmly, and an excellent body formingproperty was noted.

By contrast, in Comparative Example 1 using soybean milk at ordinaryconcentration, the conical shape was flattened and deformed, and thebody forming property was poor.

Thus, the mayonnaise-like food using concentration soybean milk wasobviously superior to the product using ordinary soybean milk also inthe aspect of body forming property.

B. Mayonnaise-Like Food Using Concentrated Bean Curd

In the following Examples 6 to 9 of mayonnaise-like food, Example 6 is acomposition using xanthan gum as an emulsifier, Example 7 is acomposition modified from Example 6 and changed in the content ofxanthan gum, Example 8 is a composition using sucrose fatty acid esterand oligosaccharide as an emulsifier, and Example 9 is a compositionchanging in the rate of concentrated bean curd and oil and using yolk asan emulsifier.

Comparative Example 2 is a composition of mayonnaise-like food usingsmooth bean curd obtained from soybean milk of ordinary concentration asthe material instead of the concentrated bean curd.

Example 6

Soybean was extracted in hot water by conventional method, and soybeanmilk was prepared at Brix concentration of about 12, and it wasconcentrated at reduced pressure in the condition of pressure of 700mmHg or less, steam pressure of 6 kg/cm²G, and evaporation temperatureof 45° C., and was further treated in high pressure homogenizer in thecondition of 100 to 150 kg/cm², and concentrated soybean milk at Brixconcentration of about 25 was obtained. This concentrated soybean milkwas once cooled to 22° C., and the coagulant was added in the followingratio, and it was heated for 50 minutes at 92° C., and concentrated beancurd was manufactured, and cooled, and slightly crushed by Stefan cutterto a slightly grainy texture.

Concentrated soybean milk 60 kg Magnesium chloride 110 g Glucono deltalactone 110 g Water 4.8 L

In succession, vinegar, seasoning, emulsifier and spice were mixed in amixer, and stirred for 30 to 60 seconds, and the crushed matter of theconcentrated bean curd was added and stirred to 60 seconds, and furthervegetable oil was added by three or four divided portions in about 30seconds, and after stirring homogeneously for about 30 to 60 seconds,the mixture was poured into a packaging container, and heated andsterilized for 60 minutes at 65° C., and cooled, and a mayonnaise-likefood was obtained.

The composition of the concentrated bean curd, vinegar, seasoning,emulsifier, spice, and vegetable oil is as follows.

Concentrated bean curd 100 g Apple vinegar 80 g Mustard powder 0.5 gChemical seasoning 2 g Liquid glucose & fructose 48 g Salt 9 g Rapeseedoil 180 g Xanthan gum 0.5 g Water 80 g Total 500 g

The xanthan gum was Echo Gum SF (a tradename of Dainippon PharmaceuticalCo. of Japan).

Example 7

A mayonnaise-like food was manufactured by the same method as in Example6 basically, but by using 30 g of sesame oil and 150 g of corn oilinstead of 180 g of rapeseed oil, 73 g of apple vinegar instead of 80 g,10 g of salt instead of 9 g, 0.5 g of guar gum instead of 0.5 g ofxanthan gum, and 100 g of water instead of 80 g, further adding 8.5 ofground sesame and omitting mustard powder and chemical seasoning.

Example 8

A mayonnaise-like food was manufactured by the same method as in Example6 basically, but by using 2 g of sucrose fatty acid ester instead of 0.5g of xanthan gum, and 30 g of liquid glucose and fructose instead of 48g, and further adding 16.5 g of isomalto-oligosaccharide.

The sucrose fatty acid ester was DK Ester (a tradename of Daiichi KogyoPharmaceutical Co. of Japan), and isomalto-oligosaccharide was Panolap(a tradename of Hayashihara Co. of Japan).

Example 9

Concentrated bean curd, vinegar, seasoning, emulsifier, spice, andvegetable oil were blended in the following composition.

Concentrated bean curd 40 g Wine vinegar 34 g Mustard powder 1 gChemical seasoning 2 g Liquid glucose & fructose 8 g Salt 5 g Olive oil240 g Yolk 12 g Whole fat milk powder 18 g Water 40 g Total 400 g

The manufacturing condition of concentrated bead curd and emulsifyingcondition are the same as in Example 6.

Comparative Example 2

Using the soybean milk at Brix concentration of about 12 obtained inExample 6, it was directly coagulated and smooth bean curd was obtained,and this smooth bean curd was used as the material instead of theconcentrated bean curd in Example 6, and a mayonnaise-like food wasmanufactured by the same condition as in Example 6.

Test Example 3 (Tasting Test Example of Mayonnaise-Like Food)

As a representative example of mayonnaise-like food of the inventionamong the foregoing Examples, Example 6 was selected, and compared withComparative Example 2 in the tasting test.

That is, mayonnaise-like foods of Example 6 and Comparative Example 2were tasted by 10 tasters, an flavor and taste were tested and theoverall results were evaluated. The reference was a commercialmayonnaise using yolk instead of bean curd.

The panel of 10 tasters consisted of 5 men aged from 22 to 59 years, and5 women aged from 19 to 53 years.

Each taster judged the flavor and texture according to the followingcriterion and scored from ◯ to x, giving 5 points to ◯-mark, 3 points toΔ-mark, and 1 point to x-mark, and the average of 10 tasters wascalculated in each item of flavor and texture. The overall evaluation isthe average of the judgement values of flavor and texture.

Flavor was scored as follows.

◯: Rich in flavor, completely free from unpleasant smell.

Δ: Feeling of greenstuff smell.

x: Strong greenstuff smell or acridity.

Texture was scored as follows.

◯: Mild in swallowing.

Δ: Insufficient smoothness in throat to slight strangeness.

x: Poor in smoothness in throat.

Test results are shown below.

Flavor Taste Overall evaluation Example 6 4.7 4.3 4.5 ComparativeExample 2 1.9 3.1 2.5 Reference 4.4 4.2 4.3

According to the results, the mayonnaise-like food in Example 6 was freefrom greenstuff smell or acridity, and had rich flavor and mild texture,and its overall evaluation was higher than that of the commercialmayonnaise of the reference.

By contrast, Comparative Example 2 had a strong greenstuff smell andacridity, and was not smooth in texture.

Thus, the mayonnaise-like food using concentrated bean curd wasobviously superior to the product using smooth bean curd made fromsoybean milk of ordinary concentration, in the aspects of flavor,texture and taste.

Test Example 4 Study on Contents of Unpleasant Smell Causative Matter

As mentioned above, major causes of greenstuff smell of soybean milk,and unpleasant smell and acridity of soybean are volatile matters suchas n-hexanal, n-hexanol, and 1-octene-3-ol.

Accordingly, the concentrated soybean milk used in Example 4 andordinary soybean milk used in Comparative Example 1 were analyzed by gaschromatography, and these volatile matters were detected, and thefollowing results were obtained.

In this gas chromatography, the gas chromatograph of ShimadzuCorporation was used in the following condition.

Column: Silicone grease (15% contained in 100 to 120 mesh cerite), SE-30(1% contained in Gaschrom P), ethylene glycol succinate ester S—X (8%contained in Gaschrom P).

-   -   Heating condition : 100 to 190° C.    -   Flow velocity condition: 3 kg/cm²

In the following table, the detection concentration of each substance isexpressed as relative value of each detection peak area in the gaschromatogram in Example 4 and Comparative Example 1 for the sake ofconvenience, and the detected value of Comparative Example 1 is supposedto be 100 (average of two experiments).

Example 4 Comparative Example 1 n-Hexanol 16.5 100 n-Hexanal 15.5 1001-Octene-3-ol 12.5 100

As the results suggest, as compared with the soybean milk of ordinaryconcentration of Comparative Example 1, the volatile matters aresubstantially decreased in the concentrated soybean milk in Example 4.

Thus, this test has also supported the results of the sensory testsproving that the mayonnaise-like food of the invention usingconcentrated soybean milk or concentrated bean curd is excellent in bothflavor and taste, as compared with the composition prepared by usingsoybean milk or bean curd of ordinary concentration.

1. A mayonnaise-like food, being an edible emulsified matter prepared bymixing and emulsifying 5 to 60 wt % soybean milk, 5 to 40 wt % vinegar,seasoning, spice, 0.01 to 5 wt % emulsifier, and 10 to 80 wt % vegetableoil, wherein said soybean milk is a concentrated soybean milk at Brixconcentration of 20 to
 40. 2. The mayonnaise-like food of claim 1,wherein the mayonnaise-like food contains 10 to 30 wt % of said soybeanmilk.
 3. The mayonnaise-like food of claim 1, wherein themayonnaise-like food contains 7 to 25 wt % of said vinegar.
 4. Themayonnaise-like food of claim 1, wherein the mayonnaise-like foodcontains 20 to 70 wt % of said vegetable oil.
 5. The mayonnaise-likefood of claim 1, wherein the mayonnaise-like food contains 0.1 to 3.0 wt% of said emulsifier.
 6. A mayonnaise-like food, being an edibleemulsified matter prepared by mixing and emulsifying 5 to 60 wt % beancurd, 5 to 40 wt % vinegar, seasoning, spice, 0.01 to 5 wt % emulsifier,and 10 to 80 wt % vegetable oil, wherein said bean curd is aconcentrated bean curd prepared by coagulating a concentrated soybeanmilk at Brix concentration of 15 or more by use of coagulant.
 7. Themayonnaise-like food of claim 1 or 6, wherein the emulsifier is one ortwo or more types selected from the group consisting of thickeningpolysaccharide, lecithin, fatty acid monoglyceride, fatty acidpolyglyceride, sucrose fatty acid ester, and sorbitan fatty acid ester.8. The mayonnaise-like food of claim 6, wherein the mayonnaise-like foodcontains 10 to 30 wt % of said bean curd.
 9. The mayonnaise-like food ofclaim 6, wherein the mayonnaise-like food contains 7 to 25 wt % of saidvinegar.
 10. The mayonnaise-like food of claim 6, wherein themayonnaise-like food contains 20 to 70 wt % of said vegetable oil. 11.The mayonnaise-like food of claim 6, wherein the mayonnaise-like foodcontains 0.1 to 3.0 wt % of said emulsifier.
 12. A manufacturing methodof mayonnaise-like food characterized by mixing and preliminarilyemulsifying 5 to 40 wt % vinegar, seasoning, spice, and 0.01 to 5 wt %emulsifier, mixing 5 to 60 wt % of a concentrated soybean milk at Brixconcentration of 20 to 40 or a concentrated bean curd prepared bycoagulating a concentrated soybean milk at Brix concentration of 15 ormore by use of a coagulant, and further mixing and emulsifying 10 to 80wt % vegetable oil.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein themayonnaise-like food contains 10 to 30 wt % of said soybean milk. 14.The method of claim 12, wherein the mayonnaise-like food contains 7 to25 wt % of said vinegar.
 15. The method of claim 4, wherein themayonnaise-like food contains 20 to 70 wt % of said vegetable oil. 16.The method of claim 12, wherein the mayonnaise-like food contains 0.1 to3.0 wt % of said emulsifier.